One Month Old Already!

Oh my, time is whizzing by! Four weeks ago today the puppies emerged from their mother’s snug womb and started their journey of life. What a ride it has been so far! And we’re only just beginning…

This week the pups began to develop some coordination, permitting them to run about, play, explore, bite, and otherwise start behaving like puppies. They are coming to my call, following me around, and climbing all over me when I sit down!

I am falling deeply in love with each one and have no idea how I’m ever going to decide who is going to stay (more on that in another post, coming soon). That said, their teeth have fully erupted and their favourite new thing to do is BITE! Much to the chagrin of my toes.

In keeping with my obsessive documenting, I photographed each pup this morning to mark the occasion of successfully completing their first month. The following is a little summary of their personalities as they are presenting this week! Note that there have been some changes, and some continuity. While I am getting a feel for each pup, I’m largely still uncertain which one will suit what kind of home. But the picture is becoming clearer.

Of one thing I am certain: each has the potential to be an incredible companion, teacher, and friend to their new person(s). They are so keen on being with me! They gleefully leave mamma to scramble into my lap and be petted, or to play tug with my clothing.

Gosh, are they beyond cute or what? Good thing for those needle teeth or I might never let any of them go…

Griffon

Griffon: Perfectly marked and very fluffy, Griff is going to be a very classic looking boy. Love his black lips, half black nose, and one black toe! He continues to be the biggest pup and I’m starting to see some promising looking structure.

Griffon is bold and outgoing, but also shows sensitivity and thoughtfulness. He definitely has a mind of his own and strong opinions on what he does and does not want to do. Quite the clown, I think he’s going to be a bit of a handful but sensitive enough to be easily trained using positive reinforcement. He is going to need a gentle hand to bring out the best in him, and guide him lovingly through his antics.

Raven

Raven: Is she not the most adorable little pixie? The tiniest pup, she is going to be smooth coated and her ears look to be fairly high set. Will they stand right up? Time will tell…. Symmetrically marked with a full white ruff, I am anticipating that she will grow into a petite and striking looking adult.

Rae is really starting to strut her stuff this week, and I’m starting to see quite the little personality emerge. The first to use the litter box, she was also the first to figure out how to eat solid food, and is otherwise showing herself to be quite clever. Perhaps all those hours I thought she was just sleeping, she was quietly taking everything in and processing while the others were blundering about. I’m really curious to see how this one develops! I think she is going to impress us.

Lark

Lark: This pup has the most interesting markings, with an asymmetrical and off-centre blaze that joins her ruff over her head. Fully like Griff, she is definitely rough coated. She’s also a very big puppy, confident, happy, and outgoing.

Lark is the ‘middle of the road’ pup of the litter. She’s the one “they” would say to pick (at least at this point) as your ideal companion. She’s busy without being over the top, interactive without being clingy, quick to learn but never the first (nor the last). She has a quiet energy, despite her active personality. She’s also sprouting a little tan on her cheeks and legs, now visibly the only tricoloured pup of the bunch.

Here you can see the little bit of tan on her cheeks, making Lark officially a tricolour, rather than black and white. The early tip-off was the tan under her tail, but until now she had no other visible tan markings. It will be interesting to see if more emerges as she matures!

Cooper

Cooper: Is he not the cutest puppy you’ve ever seen? That sweet, gentle softness captured in this photo is definitely an accurate representation of Cooper’s personality. Consistently the quietest, gentlest, cuddliest, and calmest puppy since birth, Coop is quite the charmer.

Don’t get me wrong – he’s still an active, playful boy! He’s just more laid back than the rest, and reminds me a lot of of his daddy, Scout. What glimpses I have seen of his structure also looks promising!

At this point – if his structure is appropriate – I’m going to guess he’ll make a good sport prospect, and will also be a good fit for a home with perhaps a little less experience, or an experienced agility handler with their first border collie. Of course he might turn out to be a holy terror in a few weeks, so don’t hold me to this prediction!

Wren

Wren: Last but not least! My busy little explorer. She looks a little sad and homely in this picture, but she is nothing of the sort in real life! Not quite as smooth as Raven, I expect her to be fairly short coated. Her markings are a little asymmetrical, and her ruff is mostly black with a patch of white between the shoulder blades that looks a lot like the map of Texas.

Wren is definitely the most outgoing and active puppy. She is also the noisiest, although she has thankfully become bored with the sound of her own voice and no longer marches about the pen barking her lungs out. A real character, she is always at my heels, super curious, and into everything. I suspect she’s going to be a bit of a handful and, of the five of them, right now is the only one I think will need a particularly BC savvy person to work with her. Unless things change in the weeks to come, she will definitely be going to an experienced home.

And there you have it! The one month pupdate, with my latest (and greatest) predictions. Please remember that these pups can still change quite a bit in the weeks to come, and so right now everything is speculation. I wont have enough information to match them to homes until they are about 9 weeks old, or another 5 long weeks for those waiting! Myself included.